


An Unconventional Case

by irishbandlover23



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, but the first scene IS kind of gruesome to think about, hinoe and natori meet and its a fabulous mess tbh, okay so there's no graphic depiction of violence, set post-series 6/chapter 73
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-12 04:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11154360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishbandlover23/pseuds/irishbandlover23
Summary: It started with a terrifying dream and leads to a case that inevitably involves Reiko and the Book of Friends. With the help of both his human and yokai friends, Natsume learns that balancing his life between these converging worlds is both challenging and worthwhile.





	An Unconventional Case

**Author's Note:**

> What I like about Natsume Yuujinchou is that there's so much potential for chaos, misunderstandings, and friendship. I'm eager to see where the series goes, but in the meantime, enjoy my interpretation of Natsume's daily life.
> 
> Anyways, hope you read and enjoy!

_It's dark._

_Wandering across the forest, the large, ugly, and foul-smelling yokai murmurs, “Oh, I'm so hungry…” as its dirt-stained nails scraped the dirt, desperately reaching for something in the ground, but what?_

_“Food!”_

_A small, rectangular box._

_A coffin._

_The yokai hums as it opens the coffin to reveal—_

_A child, no more than two years, resting in eternal peace. Wrapped in silk, the child’s peaceful face is the only visible part of its body, as if the child was merely sleeping, instead of dead._

_The yokai moans, "Food" as it picks up the child and inspects them carefully. It carefully unfolds the child from the blanket, and cradles_ _the child, almost gently. The yokai whispers, “Oh, I'm hungry!”_

_It opens its mouth wide, revealing sharp, wide, yellow-looking teeth and—_

_It swallows the baby whole._

Natsume yells as he bolts up, desperately calling out, “Sensei!” as he haphazardly throws his covers away.

Sensei growls as he angrily unfurls himself from the bedcovers. “Natsume, what-”

Natsume reaches towards the cat and clutches it tightly. He ignores the cats yelp and hurries to explain what it is he saw, but can't find the words. He gasps out, “The yokai was digging-”  he squeezes the cat even further as he remembers the way that the yokai grabbed the child—“Oh the _child-_ ”

He's interrupted from his intelligible ramblings by a rather painful headbutt. He stares at his ugly cat in slight shock.

He hisses, “Calm down, boy; you aren't making any sense!”

He breathes in deeply and sharply exhales, trying to control his erratic heartbeat. He closes his eyes and murmurs, “There was a yokai eating a dead child.” He shivers, the words feeling foul in his mouth.

Sensei blinks, its green eyes inspecting him. Finally, he shakes his head. “It’s just a dream.”

Natsume frowns. “I know what I saw.”

Sensei rolls his eyes. “You know what you saw in a _dream_.”

“No!” He runs his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair in frustration. “It was real.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

They stare at each other, neither willing to back down.

Sensei scowls, and slowly pads towards the window. “So troublesome!” He turns, and sharply says, “Stay put. There’s nothing you can do for now.”

Natsume reluctantly nods. “You’ll tell me, if you find anything?”

Sensei jumps out the window, all the while murmuring, “Of course.”

* * *

 

After his unexpected dream and the subsequent late night—there was no way he could sleep after having a dream like _that—_ Natsume groggily heads to school, taking the path as far away from the forest as possible. He knows he’s a magnet for danger, and Sensei isn't besides him to protect him at a moment's notice. He clutches his worn satchel, grasping comfort in the Book of Friends cradled inside. He breathes a sigh of relief as he enters the school gates, quietly settling into his seat without much fuss from his friends.

He spends the day distracted, unable to laugh at Nishimura’s failed attempts to talk to Taki or answer his teacher's questions. He's pretty sure he failed his quiz, but he can't really find it in him to care. He glances towards the windows, searching for a sign of Sensei’s imminent return, but the cat doesn’t show. He ignores Tanuma’s worried glances, smiling as he shakes his head and declines his invitation to go to his house after school.

When classes are, Natsume hurriedly says his goodbyes and heads towards the woods. Sensei wasn’t back, and if that thing decided to come to his house, to the Fujiwara’s—No, he won’t allow that to happen.

So he treks through the woods, desperately searching for a sign, for a clue, anything to show him what kind of yokai he’s dealing with.

_Why did I dream that? Yokai sometimes show me their memories, but one I've never met before? Strange._

He stops as he feels something heavy settle in the air. He notes the absence of sound—no birds chirping, no yokai in the clearing he’s stumbled upon.

It is with mounting dread that he realizes he was too distracted to notice his surroundings. He knows he’s in a bit of a bind, and Nyanko-sensei was nowhere in sight.

_Oh no. He even told me to stay put!_ “Who's there?” he calls out with false bravado. He clutches his satchel holding the Book of Friends tightly against his chest, fully aware that the Book must be protected at all costs.

A twig snaps, and he turns around, seeking the source of the first sound he’s heard in awhile. He gapes as a tall, lithe figure looms in front of him. It looks exactly like it did in his dream, only far more sinister. The putrid smell makes him want to gag, but what's worse is the ugly smile it's giving him. The yokai’s baring its uneven and sharp teeth in a highly unsettling manner, giving the impression that this is just a casual meeting when it's anything but that.

He doesn’t even have time to realize that he was right, there was something wrong with his dream, before he speaks. “What do you want?”

The yokai shrugs. It unnerves him, that some creature can act _human._ It makes him angry, too. That some creature can just eat a human with no remorse-

“Answer me!”

The yokai opens it’s mouth, and in a deep voice slowly states, “Natsume Reiko.”

Natsume protectively clutches the Book and shakes his head. “I'm not Natsume Reiko.”

The yokai’s eyes flash, and it screams, “Lies!”

Natsume backs away slowly as he hastily explains, “Reiko was my grandmother; she's dead.”

The yokai pauses and shakes its head, uncomprehending.

Silence.

Finally, the yokai says, “I'm hungry.”

“What?”

The yokai sniffs the air, murmuring, “Food. _Food…_ ”

He doesn't want to be eaten, so he sprints without hesitationm. As he runs as fast as he can, he hears the yokai knock down trees and shrubs, chasing him. He doesn’t know where he’s running to, only thinking that he must get as far away from the yokai as possible.

Where was sensei when you needed him?

Natsume yelps as the yokai grips his leg and sends him crashing towards the ground. He scrambles backwards, wincing as the branches scrape his hands and knees. He clutches the Book of Friends, and glares up at the yokai. But the yokai doesn’t seem to notice the Book as it pulls Natsume forward, and grips him tightly.

“Let go!” Natsume flails, trying to punch the yokai, but to no avail.

The yokai clutches his neck, making it hard to breathe. His vision becomes blurry, breaths coming in short pants.

_Sensei!_

He blearily notices a flash, and sighs as the yokai releases him.

“Natsume!”

His vision goes black.

* * *

 

Madara finds Hinoe near the riverbank, staring off into the distance, smoking as usual.

“Hinoe.”

She grimaces. “What do you want?”

He’s slightly put off by her short temper, but she doesn’t _seem_ busy, so... “Seen any _strange_ yokai recently?”

Hinoe snorts. “Strange? Whatever do you mean?”

He knows she's teasing—they both know that every yokai has their quirks, and all are a bit strange—but he's not in the mood today. He scowls, and says, “Natsume saw a flesh-eating one.”

He’s incredibly satisfied when Hinoe chokes on her smoke, sharply turns towards him, and gives him her undivided attention. “Natsume?”

He nods, and weighs how much to tell her. “Apparently, it was eating a child’s corpse.”

Hinoe hums. “That's certainly a problem for you.” _As his bodyguard,_ was left unsaid.

He scowls. “And you as well.” _You like the boy, so much like Reiko._

Her eyes glint as she frowns down at him. She chooses to ignore his remark, saying, “The yokai. I might know a way to find it.”

Madara moves its paws in a hurrying manner. “Well, get on with it!”

Hinoe sighs, and murmurs, “Just to make things clear: I'm doing this for the boy.” _Not Reiko._ She strides over to her small rucksack, and pulls out one of her scrolls.

Madara sits back as he watches Hinoe sits down on the grassy slope.

Hinoe closes her eyes, places her hands over her scroll, and softly begins to chant. The light dims around her, and the scroll begins to shine. She opens her ruby-red eyes, and peers down at the scroll with her brows furrowed in concentration. It's a beautiful (if slightly dangerous) sight, and Madara quietly admires this side of her, rarely shown to common yokai. The darkness disappears as the spell comes to a close. Hinoe sits, lips parted and eyes wide.

He can't help but feel a sense of dread. “What is it?” he impatiently calls out. Danger flocks Natsume like a moth to a flame, and it seems today isn't an exception.

Hinoe shakes her head and exhales. She turns her eyes towards him. “It's a man-eating yokai.”

Madara’s eyes widen, and he scowls. “What a pain.” Of course Natsume would get caught up in something as dangerous as this.

Hinoe hums. “Indeed.”

They lapse into a brief, contemplative silence, broken by Hinoe’s sudden, too-casual remark, “If I’m not mistaken, Reiko knew someone like that.”

“It’d be no surprise.” Unlike her grandson who unwillingly encounters danger, she went searching for it. A yokai like this, though? Strange. She didn't have many morals, but she did have a few standards...

Hinoe chuckles. “Reiko was quite daring.”

Madara scowls. “Unlike Natsume.”

She closes her eyes, and grimaces. “Yes, unlike that boy.”

He briefly wonders, then, why Hinoe chooses to stay close to this area, when she could go anywhere and dominate the lands.  Alas, today is neither the time or place to ask—he, too, would be unable to respond to her prodding questions. “Well I'm off.” _To find that idiot._

“Wait.” Hinoe rises and quickly packs up her belongings. “I'll join you.”

Madara rolls his eyes. Though he wouldn’t get to question her today, her actions hinted to some of her reasons. And though loathe to admit it, her strength would be useful to protect Natsume from this particular yokai. Nevertheless, he says, “Hurry up, I haven't got all day.” The sun is setting, and Natsume should be getting home soon...

She laughs, something light and airy that makes him immediately regret his temporary companion. “Worried? He isn't like Reiko at all, is he?”

Madara growls.

Natsume was certainly interesting, but never in a good way.

* * *

 

He hears soft, worried, murmurs above him and gasps as he sits up quickly. His bones ache in protest as he struggles to stay up, but he feels a hand on his shoulder, helping him stay upright.

“Careful. That was quite a nasty fall you took.”

He cranes his neck, trying to find the source of that oddly familiar voice and finds that leaning over him is a worried Natori sporting a rather ugly hat.

He blinks, unsure as to why he's here. “Natori?”

Natori breathes out, “Natsume,” in relief. He quirks his lips. “Honestly, what am I supposed to do with you?”

Natsume waves his question off. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm here on business.”

“Business?” He was pretty sure it wasn't acting business, but it was rare for Natori to take an exorcist case so close to him...

A wry smile. “Business you seem to have encountered already.”

Natsume stills. “Ah.” The yokai in his dreams seems to be even more dangerous and desirable than he previously thought.

Natori gently insists. “Are you really alright, though? That nasty thing was choking you.”

Natsume gingerly touches his neck and winces. “I'm fine. What is it?”

Natori throws him a dubious look, knowing that he isn't fine, if the slightly pained voice is any indicator. But he lets the subject drop and apologetically says, “Sorry Natsume. I try to stay away from this area, but this particular case involves a dangerous yokai.” He breathes in deeply and lays a hand on his shoulder in comfort. “It feasts on corpses.”

Natsume pales as Natori confirms what he's dreamed and encountered. “What?” he hollowly asks.

“It’s a nasty corpse-eating yokai whose hunger might be getting out of control. It’s a potential menace for living people as well.”

Natsume gasps, lips parted in horror. “You mean, this yokai would eat people?”

Natori shrugs. “Not all yokai are kind. I've always told you that.”

He shakes his head. Of course there were some bad yokai, but... “But-”

Natori cuts him off. “I don't want to argue. I'm just doing my job. I'd appreciate the help, but you don't have to force yourself.”

Natsume looks down, pondering Natori's request. He could say no, Natori wouldn't blame him, but he recalls last night's dream and shudders. He doesn't want anything to happen to anyone else, dead or alive. “Of course I’ll help.”

Natori gratefully smiles and extends a hand to Natsume, who quickly scrambles to his feet. He ignores Natori’s questioning glance as he grabs his satchel, and quickly makes sure that the Book of Friends is safe before heading off.

As they companionably walk away from the forest, they iron out the details, deciding to get this done as soon as possible.

“So tomorrow, then?”

“Of course.”

“It's late, I'll walk you home.”

He wants to protest, to say he's not a child, but he notes Natori’s unwavering stance, clearly willing to argue, and relents. “Fine.”

Natori adjusts his glasses and his hat as they walk towards the Fujiwara's. He offhandedly asks, “Speaking of, where's that cat of yours?”

Natsume inadvertently scowls at the reminder that he hasn't seen Sensei all day. “He's… investigating.”

Natori snorts. “A terrible bodyguard you have.”

Natsume grumbles as he kicks a pebble down the path. “Don't I know it."

The sun has set by the time they reach the house, so with a quick, parting wave at Natori he hurriedly walks inside.

“I'm home!”

He smiles as he hears Touko’s soft, “Welcome back!” coming from the kitchen.

She pops her head out, and smiles up at him. “Dinner will be ready soon. Go get changed, Takashi.”

He nods as he climbs up the stairs. He's sure Nyanko-sensei’s back by now—that cat would never miss Touko's dinner—but he’s still relieved as he opens the door and finds Sensei sitting upright, unmoving.

“Sensei?”

Sensei’s green eyes seem to glow as he angrily growls, “What does _stay put_ mean to you?”

Natsume sheepishly rubs the back of his head. “Sorry, I had class and then I was worried and-”

Sensei tackles him, sending him sprawling to the floor. “Stupid! Man-eaters are dangerous. You always get yourself into trouble!”

“I know!” Natsume glares at his cat and rubs his chin. For a cat, Sensei sure knew how to inflict damage. “Natori told me.”

Sensei’s eyes narrow, slightly suspicious. “So that guy’s here too.”

“He wants to exorcise it.” Natsume quietly adds, “It's become a threat to people.”

Sensei rolls his eyes and matter-of-factly replies, “Of course it has. That yokai preys on _dead_ corpses, but we don't know how much longer that'll last.”

Natsume takes his jacket off, and pads towards his closet for a change of clothes. “I'm meeting him near the lake tomorrow.”

Sensei pads towards his jacket and settles himself comfortably atop it. “Mmm.”

They settle into comfortable silence, Natsume quickly changing out of his uniform, and settling himself at his desk. As he scribbles on a piece of paper, he pauses as he remembers something Sensei said. “What did you mean by ‘he's here too’?”

“Hmm? Oh, Hinoe’s also helping.”

Natsume hums. “That’s nice of her.”

Sensei snorts. “ _Nice,_ sure.”

Something about that sentence tickles him the wrong way. Hinoe is helping, Natori is helping— _wait._ Hinoe. Natori. He puts his pencil down and warily asks, “Hinoe doesn't know Natori, right?”

Sensei rolls his eyes. “Of course not. She doesn't like men-”

A brief and slightly uncomfortable pause settles between them as they both realize, _oh no._

He can't exactly excuse himself with Natori, but he also doesn't want to be rude and tell Hinoe he doesn't want her help. “It can't possibly be that bad, can it?”

Sensei huffs, but looks decidedly unsure. “No, probably not.”

_At least, I hope._

“Takashi, dinner!”

* * *

 

_Once again, he sees the yokai searching, murmuring, “I'm hungry.”_

_But this time, something’s different. The atmosphere is different, and-Oh. There's another person in the clearing. “Oi.”_

_It's Reiko, with her long hair, untidy school uniform, and sporting her usual smirk. She jumps down from a tree, startling the yokai._

_Her smile is wide, open, devious. “What are you doing?”_

_The yokai pauses, and contemplates her question. “Food.”_

_“Here,” she throws it an apple. “That's an apple. Eat it.”_

_It shakes its head. “Flesh. I need humans.”_

_Because he knows Reiko, he sees it, the momentary shock across Reiko’s face as she realizes what the yokai’s words mean._

_Unlike him, Reiko is strong, and doesn't know fear. She steps closer and curiously asks, “Why do you eat humans?”_

_“Flesh satisfies hunger.”_

_“Oh. Why do you eat corpses, then?”_

_The yokai throws the apple to the ground, and continues digging through the dirt. “I have no choice.”_

_Reiko holds her hands out, and hums. “I see. You're like a zombie.”_

_The yokai tilts its head. “Zombie?”_

_Reiko smiles, and he knows what she's going to say before she says it. “Let’s have a fight.”_

_“Fight?”_

_“If you win, you can eat me; if I win, you must give me your name.”_

_She stands, hands behind her back, a grin lighting her face. She looks tempting, innocent, weak. The yokai slowly nods._

_“Great!” she says as she leans down and pick up her wooden bat._

_Before he can blink, Reiko has reached over and hit the yokai, which yelps and falls to the ground._

_The yokai stares up at Reiko, who's grinning down at him. “I… lost?”_

_She procures a piece of paper and a brush, and hands it to the yokai. “I’ll call you if I ever need you.”_

_The yokai frowns, and utters, “You won’t ever need me.”_

_Reiko smiles, that plastic smile full of mystery and deceit. She carefully places the yokai’s name in the Book. “Don’t be so sure!”_

_With a smile and a wave, Reiko is gone._

* * *

 

In hindsight, having a sly exorcist and a man-hating yokai help him at the same time was probably asking for a bit _too_ much. Despite Sensei’s and his own misgivings last night, nothing had prepared Natsume for the frighteningly tense (and deadly) atmosphere by the lake. They were staring at each other, arms crossed and glares clearly evident.

Natsume scrubs his eyes as he miserably moans, “It's way too early for this, Hinoe, Natori.”

They turn towards him, their eyes equally sharp and questioning. They wear sickeningly sweet smiles, clearly fake. Sensei lightly chuckles from his position on his shoulder.

Natori lightly comments, "Natsume, you didn't tell me you had _another_ servant!"

Hinoe puffs up in offense, and before he can reply, angrily hisses, "Excuse me? I'm no mere _servant-_ "

Natori’s eyes widen and he leans forward in (false) curiosity. "Really? Then why are you here?"

Hinoe steps closer to Natori, ignoring Natori’s shiki as they lurk behind him, ready to pounce. "Shut up, child of man!” She glances at Natsume, and asks, “Natsume, tell me he's not one of your human acquaintances."

Natsume nervously chuckles. "Please behave, both of you?"

They throw him matching glares, and snap, “Natsume!”

He crosses his arms defensively, and glares back. "What? The more help the better!"

"But-"

"Natsume-"

Quickly tiring of their protests—and still tired from his almost sleepless night—he snaps, “Stop it! Shouldn't we be focusing on the yokai?”

There is a tense silence as they process his words. Sensei jumps down from his shoulders, and walks towards Hinoe, who turns her glare on him.

Natori is the first to relent, reluctantly nodding and waving his shiki away.

Hinoe, however, still has some fight within her. “Here I am worried about you and you're off with these kinds of people! Honestly-”

Natsume cuts her off with a soft, “Thank you,” coupled with a gentle smile.

Abruptly, she pauses in her tirade, frowns, and _blushes_. “Unfair!” she wails. “So like Reiko!”

Natsume smiles nervously as he notices Natori perk up slightly, and curiously look at Hinoe. “Uh-”

She throws up her hands in resignation. “So be it. I’ll help this once. I'm not doing it for _you_ ,” she points to Natori, who charmingly smiles, “but for Natsume.”

Natori smiles complacently and takes off his hat as he bows saying, “Alright.”

Hinoe stands, stupefied for a brief moment, before she humphs and moves closer to Natsume.

Its quickly made clear that despite their uneasy stalemate, Natori and Hinoe have no intention of being cooperative with each other. Natsume hates it—hates the way his two worlds converge, grinding and protesting, with no room for cooperation or peace. _If they can clearly see each other and can’t get along, how would humans who cannot see react? Worse._

After much discussing and a slightly put-out Sensei threatening to eat both Hinoe _and_ Natori, they decide to split up. Natori and his shiki head towards the Southern part of the forest, and Natsume, Sensei, and Hinoe head North. They agree to meet by the river in three hours. If the other group doesn't show, then they would go looking for them.

It's a fairly straightforward plan filled with several large holes, but if there's one thing Natsume has learned, it’s that things never go to plan. Leaving plenty of room for improvisation—especially in his case—is always welcome.

Despite being strong yokai, they decide to take the well-worn path in the forest, if only so that they don’t get lost. They ignore the weaker yokai, milling around and murmuring as they pass by. Hinoe’s hatred for men rings true, as she continues to rant, “Honestly, who does that man think he is, thinking he can order _me_ of all people?”

Sensei huffs, and replies, “Calm down. Natori likes riling things up.”

Hinoe frowns as Sensei begins following a butterfly in front of them. “But, I could feel his-”

Sensei sharply interjects, “Hinoe. He’s a contradiction.”

Natsume’s pretty sure he’s missed something important. He explains, “He's helped me when I needed it,” _and now he knows about the Book of Friends,_ “and I've helped him when he's needed it.”

Hinoe bites her lip, and stops. She crosses her arms, and seriously asks, “That isn't enough to make you trust him, is it?”

Before he can answer, Sensei snorts. “It's Natsume,” he says in a snide voice, as if that explained everything.

And apparently it does, as Hinoe begins walking again. “I don’t see why I’ve got to help him, of all people.” She lightly whines, “Why couldn’t it have been a pretty girl, Natsume?”

He hums and easily replies, “Enough. I trust him, and that's that.”

He abruptly stops, and looks around. Both Hinoe and Sensei stop, looking at him questioningly. There’s something odd, something he’s missed—“Have you heard any animals or yokai recently?”

They stare at him in slight worry, not quite understanding. “No, why?”

“The deeper the forest, the fewer yokai. Still…”

He knows now, with complete certainty, that the yokai is near.

For the first time, he's more prepared than Sensei and Hinoe, who are still trying to figure out what exactly the silence means.

He closes his eyes, and breathes in. He can feel it, that dark presence inching closer. He knows it’s coming from the North, towards—“Hinoe, watch out!”

But his warning's too late. He watches with wide eyes as the yokai slams into her. He wants to scream, but he’s still too shocked to move. Did that thing follow him? Is it his fault that Hinoe’s hurt?

But Hinoe, while startled, is not completely thrown off by the yokai. Her face, normally so polite and nonchalant, is barred with anger. Her eyes shine like a demon’s, as she produces a scythe and repels the yokai’s attack. She grunts as the yokai tries to attack her, but does not fall or withdraw.

Natsume turns to Sensei, who’s resting on the ground beside him, watching the proceedings with curious eyes, and desperately cries out, “Sensei, help her!”

Sensei scoffs, his eyes not leaving the spectacle in front of him for a moment. “Boy, don't underestimate her.”

Natsume’s eyes widen as he hears Hinoe begin chanting as she expertly dodges the yokai. As he sees her eyes glowing, her voice growing louder, he realizes that she has the upper hand. The yokai cannot keep up with Hinoe’s chant—curse, spell?—and all too soon, it grows languid in its movements, falling to the ground in a silent heap.

Hinoe smirks in triumph, and beckons them closer. “I’ve placed a curse on it; it’s remain temporarily immobile.” She turns towards Natsume. “Go on. Ask it something; you’ll find it’ll reply.”

Natsume blinks, and nods. He hesitates, and steps closer to the yokai, who is staring at him with its dark eyes. “Tell me: what is it you want?”

“...Reiko.”

Hinoe frowns, and steps closer to Natsume. “How is she involved in this?”

“She knows. She knows.”

He wants to ask more about his grandmother, but refrains. “Why are you here?”

The yokai pauses as it contemplates its answer. “I'm hungry, so I eat.”

The thing lays still, but suddenly breaks free of Hinoe’s curse. Hinoe angrily growls, and clutches her head, all the while trying to shield him. But she’s too late—the yokai sends him up into the air as it bumps into him, fleeing as both Sensei and Hinoe yell, “Natsume!”

He really needs to stop landing himself into these situations, he thinks as he slams into the ground.

He sees Hinoe worriedly looking at him, and wants to comfort her, thank her, apologize for worrying her, before he closes his eyes, and knows no more.

_The yokai groans as it digs another grave._

_Natsume wants to scream, wants to wake up, but he can't. Forced to watch, he desperately closes his eyes and covers his ears. "I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening!"_

_The yokai pauses. "Natsume Reiko."_

_Natsume opens one eye, and freezes as he finds that the yokai’s staring at him. "I'm not Reiko," he stutters out, despite himself._

_The yokai ignores him and exclaims, "Reiko!"_

_"I'm not-" he frustratedly sighs. "Look, why are you doing this?"_

_The yokai shrugs. "I'm hungry."_

_He remembers his dreams, Natori’s words, Hinoe’s curse, and hisses out, "Don't you care?"_

_The yokai tilts its head. "Why?"_

_He angrily splutters out, "You disrespect and desecrate the dead in this manner! Why?!"_

_"They're dead. Gone."_

_"They're people. Have some respect."_

_The yokai moans, "Reiko, I'm hungry."_

_"Why Reiko? Is this about your name?”_

_"Reiko, Reiko, Reiko!"_

He wakes with a startled gasp, dimly noting that Hinoe and Sensei are quietly discussing something. They pause, and stare at him in a mixture of relief and worry.

“Sorry.”

Sensei rolls his eyes. “Idiot, there was nothing you could've done.”

Hinoe nods. She points at Sensei, and replies, “If anything, it's the fault of Madara who can't even be a proper bodyguard.”

He ignores Sensei's yelp and says, “Sensei, why didn't you chase it?”

Sensei rolls its eyes and crosses it paws. “And do what? You don't even have a plan.”

Natsume scowls. “Well, no, but-”

Hinoe softly interjects, “My spell couldn't hold it down completely. Your safety was our first concern.”

Natsume holds his head down, in slight frustration. He held them back; how would things have gone if he could only protect himself?

“Enough. Let's go, brat.”

Hinoe whines, “Eh, do we have to?”

Sensei mutters, “That exorcist would come and cause even more problems.”

They begin walking back, retracing their steps and mercifully not encountering any yokai. He walks between Sensei and Hinoe, shielded from danger from the sides. He doesn't need protection, yet he appreciates their gesture, as he feels just a tiny bit more safe amidst the two yokai.

They find Natori lightly dozing beneath a tree, which Hinoe sees with glee. “Can I draw on his face?”

She's holding a black quill, hand poised to write. He quietly hisses, “No! Where did you even get that?”

Hinoe pats his shoulder. “Don't worry about it.”

He knows she's not joking, so he firmly says, “No.” Any slight hesitation, and she would take that opening.

She pouts, her expression playful. “Come on, it'll be fun."

"No."

"Here, I'll even let you write something.”

He pauses. Hesitates. “...No.”

She knows she's won, can practically see him caving to her whim, and continues to insist. “But-”

Natori clears his throat. His eyes are closed, but his smile belies his wakeful state. “Hate to ruin your fun,” he says as he opens his eyes, “but scribbles would ruin my image.”

Hinoe snorts. While blushing in slight mortification, Natsume awkwardly chuckles as well.

Natori sits up, and casually adjusts his glasses. “So, did you find anything?”

Sensei, who's been relatively quiet, replies, “You could say that.”

Natsume rolls his eyes as he slides down next to Natori, who is staring at him with slight concern. “What he means to say, is that we encountered it.”

Natori’s eyes widen, and he leans forward. “And?”

Natsume sheepishly replies, “Hinoe subdued it, but it got away.”

She interjects, reluctantly, “It’s strong, but there's something... off about it.”

He turns an appraising glance towards Hinoe, who turns her nose up. “I see.”

Natsume settles himself comfortably and asks, “What next?”

Natori frowns and slowly murmurs, “I want to seal it. Nullify the threat.”

Hinoe scoffs. “Seal? That's stupid.”

He turns his head towards Hinoe, and politely asks, “Why?”

Hinoe challenges, “What if you fail?”

Natori’s eyes flash. “What if I don't?”

“Anyways,” he loudly interrupts, “What does your plan entail, exactly?”

“Well, we'd have to track and lure it to our location, but also the spellcasting itself… I'd need your assistance with that.”

Natsume nods. “That sounds reasonable.”

Hinoe ruffles his hair, and firmly asks, “Are you sure, Natsume? I can subdue it for you, so that it nevers come near you.”

Natsume bit his lip. Hinoe’s offer was tantalizing—he trusted her skills, knew she could successfully pull it off—but this particular yokai was dangerous to anyone, not just himself. He shakes his head, but graces her with a smile. “Thank you, Hinoe. But I want this one gone.”

She sighs. “Fine. I’ll lure it to you.”

Natori asks, “Can Hiiragi go with you? I don't doubt your skills, but Hiiragi is quite capable as well.”

To his astonishment, Hinoe doesn't protest. “That's fine.”

“Great. I'll set up the severing circle, and you can help me.”

“What about Sensei.”

Natori chuckles. “He's _is_  your bodyguard. If something goes wrong—which it won't—he can safely give you a hand.

Natsume looks at Sensei, and prods, “Sensei?” He knows Sensei will agree, but he also knows that he'll be less of a pain if he's given a choice.

Nevertheless, it's a relief when Sensei merely snorts. “Geez, always giving me trouble, brat.”

* * *

 

Everything is going according to plan. Hiiragi and Hinoe have located the yokai and are tracking it down, while Natori is placing the finishing touches on the circle. Natsume himself is lazily sitting beneath a tree, knees pressed closely to his chest.

He thinks about the yokai, the brief glimpses and barely comprehensible words. About Reiko.

He smiles, slightly wistfully. It always comes down to her, doesn't it?

He doesn't want to ask, doesn't want to break their silent truce on Reiko. He won't ever ask of Reiko, it's always been for the best.  _But…_ “Sensei, can I ask you something?”

Sensei snorts. “You already did. What?”

He takes a deep breath and quietly asks, “Did Reiko know this yokai?”

Sensei's eyes narrow, as if analyzing his motives for asking, for breaking their silent truce. Finally, he speaks. “Reiko knew a lot of yokai.”

Natsume deflates at the vague and general answer. Of course he wouldn’t get any answers from Sensei, who—

Sensei bites out, reluctantly. “I suppose she did.”

He freezes, and feels his chest tighten in hope. “Really?”

Sensei throws him a warning look. “I don't know for sure. Hinoe knows more than I do.”

“Sensei…” _thank you._

Sensei shakes his head. _No need for sentimentality. Just don't ask again._ “Why do you want to know?”

Natsume frustratingly runs a hand through his hair. “Something doesn't make sense. Why would the yokai wait to start desecrating bodies, _here,_  now?”

Sensei shrugs. “Maybe it realized Reiko's no longer here.”

He hesitates, but quietly utters the nagging thought on his mind since Reiko’s name came up. “I think I have its name.”

Silence.

They watch as Natori finally finishes his preparations, as he beckons Natsume to come towards him. Natsume stands, and stretches, reluctantly walking forward.

Sensei follows, growling, “Idiot! Why didn't you say so sooner?”

He defends himself, retorting. “I can't be sure, can I?”

Sensei hums. “If that’s the case, the yokai’s probably not strong enough to leave without its name.”

Natsume groans. “I've got to tell Natori!”

Sensei huffs. “If you must,” but doesn't object.

He's standing in front of Natori, fidgeting. He opens his mouth, closes it. Just because Natori knows about the Book doesn't make things easier to say.

“Natsume?”

But it all happens so fast.

Before he can utter a word, he sees Hiiragi enter the clearing, the yokai behind her. Hinoe’s in the rear, intently focused on the yokai.

He's staring, because it feels surreal, to finally get a good look at the yokai that's bothered him recently.

It's large, grotesque, and utterly human-looking. Long, disheveled hair falls on its broad shoulders, and its mouth is quirked sideways, exposing long, sharp teeth. It's eyes are clear and brown, and—oh.

It's staring at him, equally transfixed.

It's a small moment, a small glimpse into curious eyes that morph into something… surprised, sad?

He expects it to utter “Reiko,” but the yokai doesn't speak. Instead, he watches with bated breath as the yokai pauses.

Hiiragi and Hinoe stop.

Natori quietly murmurs, “Careful, Natsume.”

The yokai springs forward, just like it did in the forest. But this time, everyone is prepared. Hiiragi shields her weapon, and stands poised to attack, Sensei’s transformed, and Hinoe quickly chants something else, something that seems to suck out the fight in the yokai.

Closer to the circle, this is as good a position they're going to get.

Natori begins chanting, expecting Natsume to play his part, but he instead finds himself running up to Natori and gripping his arm, yelling, “Natori, wait!”

But Natori is an exorcist, someone who puts his job before anything else. Without glancing at him, he mutters, “Let go, Natsume.”

The words he hasn't said, hasn't mentioned, are itching to be spoken. “No! It’s not what you think!”

Natori frowns, a slight crease between his eyes, and says, “It’s the only way-”

“I haven't told you-”

Natori irritatedly snaps, “Really, we're doing this now?” In front of a monster, in the middle of a chant, danger on all sides, _now_?

He snaps back, “Yes!”

Natori’s stopped chanting. He turns towards him arms crossed, frustration clearly evident. “Natsume, you’ve got to realize you can't always help everyone.”

He tries to explain, properly, but all that comes out is one detail, the most important of all. “But—it knew Reiko!”

Natori gasps, but his gaze does not change. “So what?”

He exclaims, in a mixture of passion and slight desperation, “She wasn’t a bad person—She wouldn’t deal with evil yokai.” He just wants him to understand—

Natori’s eyes flash. “How can you be so sure?”

He freezes. How? It’s true. He didn’t know a thing about his grandmother. He didn't know a thing, and yet... “She’s family! I just know, okay!”

The silence this time is unmistakeable, not the fault of the yokai or a spell, but because of the significance of their argument. He can feel the gazes of everyone in the clearing, and he wonders what they see. His voice is loud, unwavering and yet so lost, his eyes blaze in determination and hope, and his face, so much like Reiko, red from passion after debating his case.

Natori closes his eyes and sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t trust Reiko, but I trust _you._  Just this once, Natsume.”

He's not entirely happy with that answer, but it's enough for now. “Alright.”

Sensei doesn't transform back, only huffing as he hisses, “Another one? Idiot.”

And that brings him comfort, that no matter what happens, that stupid cat and terrible bodyguard would stay until the end.

He looks at Natori, who is serious,  arms crossed, waiting to see what he's going to do. He asks, wryly, “So, what now?”

“Um, I'll just use this,” he mutters as he grabs the Book of Friends from his satchel.

He hears Natori gasp and step away, sharp, slightly curious eyes watching his movements closely, prepared for any sign of danger.

He ignores it, temporarily, and opens the book, murmuring, “That which protects me, reveal thy name!”

The book opens to the designated page, confirming his theory that Reiko did take the yokai’s name. He plucks the page out, puts it in his mouth, softly claps, and blows. “I return your name, Jirocho!”

He’s thrust into the yokai’s thoughts, suddenly and without warning. He's assaulted with a kaleidoscope of thoughts filled with sorrow, anger, and aching loneliness.

_Reiko, I'm hungry._

_Why didn’t you ever call my name?_

_I'm hungry._

_I eat because I have to._

_You said you'd need me, someday. Was that all a lie?_

_I'm tired of waiting._

_I want my name back, Reiko!_

_I want to leave!_

He's back, in the present, looking at the yokai with wide eyes, who only replies, “Thank you.”

Natori pats his shoulder. "What now?”

Natsume smiles, something small and slightly relieved. “Now, you can purify it. That's what it wants.”

Natori redraws the circle quickly, while everyone is at a standstill, waiting. But there’s none of the previous tenseness in the air. Hinoe and Hiiragi are wary, unmoving from their stances, but Sensei has transformed back into a cat, lying comfortably under a tree.

The yokai doesn't move, doesn't cause any trouble. It only stands, quietly watching the proceedings. Its presence is not as troubling or suffocating as before, in his dreams.

_Maybe its because I know now, what it wants._

Reiko, who'd been in contact with so many yokai, would've known what had taken him a few days to figure out. It probably hadn't meant to hurt him. Now that he thinks about it, the thing never said it _wanted_ to eat humans, but only said he _needed_ sustenance. It was odd, and slightly unsettling, that this yokai wasn't evil, but still so dangerous.

He recalls Natori’s words, _You can't always help everyone,_ and frowns. He knows that, doesn't need a reminder, and yet, why does that fact make him unsettled?

He hears Natori clear his throat, and walks towards him, who has finished his preparations.

Natsume motions for the yokai to step into the circle, and is pleased as the yokai nods, walks towards the center of the circle, and waits.

“Go on, Natori.”

Natori wryly smiles. His voice is teasing, when he replies, “Of course, _boss._ ”

Natsume lightly blushes, but watches as Natori begins to chant, the spelled circle lighting up, framing the yokai in an eerie blue light.

It’s simple, it's quiet, and yet—he feels just a bit lost, a bit scared. He's startled as Sensei jumps on his shoulders with practised ease. The weight of the cat is oddly comforting, and Natsume throws him a smile. Sensei just huffs, and settles himself comfortably.

All too soon, it's over. The blue light fades, taking the yokai with it. They all breathe a collective sigh of relief, glad that it's over.

Natori turns, and stares at him with calculating eyes. “That thing, your Book-” he pauses, measuring his words.

“It's the one I told you about,” he mutters as he looks down.

Natori sighs, and reaches over, ruffling his hair. Natsume scowls, just slightly, which makes Natori chuckle, and softly remark, “No, I don't think you'd ever make a good exorcist.”

Natsume’s eyes are bright. “No, I don't think I would.”

He knows, someday, he'll have to properly talk to Natori about the Book of Friends, Reiko, and his past, but he isn't ready, not yet. Its enough that Natori knows, and respects his boundaries.

Hinoe throws an arm around him, and ignores Sensei’s curse, sweetly interjecting, “Natsume is Natsume. He really can't be anything else.”

His heart feels warm, and he knows it shows on his face when both Natori and  Hinoe give him identical, teasing, smiles.

He blushes, and lightly comments, “I see you two get along now.”

They laugh, but Hinoe reaches over and pinches his cheek. He pushes her hand away, and she coos. “You think so? My, my, Natsume, you might need some glasses.”

Natsume scowls, and Natori hums. “I don't think Natsume would look good with glasses, but…” he turns towards Hinoe, and remarks, “That's fine, is it not?”

Hinoe pauses, just briefly, but firmly states, “Of course.”

He's sure they're talking about him, some secret code they've managed to come up with in less than a day, but he finds he doesn't care _too_ much. He knows by now that they have his best interests by heart, as his friends from both worlds.

Sensei grumbles near his ear, “Oi Natsume, I'm hungry.”

He pats Sensei’s head, noting with humor the way that Sensei reluctantly preens for more. “Of course, you ugly fat cat.”

Natori reaches over to pet Sensei, who hisses. He draws his hand back with a grin, and idly replies with a slight crinkle of his nose, “Does look like it needs a diet.”

Hinoe chuckles. “It needs more than a diet to fix his issues.” She snickers and points to his paws, “I mean, look at those small feet! Regal, indeed!”

Sensei growls, “Oi, Hinoe, Natori! I'm not afraid to hurt you!”

Natsume throws his head back and laughs, full-blown laughter that has him crying tears.

It's days like these that he cherishes, sweetly and fervently in his heart. He hopes there’ll be more days like this, where both his yokai and human friends interact in peace. He doesn't know where he's going, or what he's doing, but he's fine, just like this.

Hinoe looks at him. “Natsume, are you alright?”

He waves her off, and wipes his tears away. “I'm fine,” he says with a small smile.

Hinoe smiles. “Well, in that case, I've got places to go, yokai to see.”

“Thank you, Hinoe.”

She waves him off. “Don't worry about it. It was nice seeing your reckless self again.”

Natori steps forward and extends his hand towards Hinoe, who stares at him in shock. “Thank you, Natsume’s…” he trails off, uncertain.

She doesn't reply immediately. As she begins walking away, he’s surprised when she waves and says, “If you ever get tired of pretending, I can help. _Those_ things are my specialty.”

Natori’s lips part open in surprise. “...Thanks.”

Natsume curiously asks, “What did she mean?”

Natori shrugs, his eyes inscrutable. “Who knows?”

Sensei huffs, and scratches him. “Hurry up, Natsume!”

“Let's go.”

Natori begins to excuse himself, but Natsume says, “Come on.”

“Pardon?”

Natsume chuckles at Natori’s nonplussed look. “Touko’s been worried about you since the jam incident.”

“Eh, really?”

He teases, “I'm sure she'll be glad to see you're alive.”

Natori chuckles. “So kind. Well,” he throws him a sunny smile and ruffles his hair. “I don't like disappointing the ladies.”

Natsume and Sensei shake their heads, and begin walking away.

Natori chuckles. “It was a joke, a joke!”

“...Sure,” he mutters, entirely unconvinced. "Come on Sensei."

“Oi, Natsume! Wait up!”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are the best motivation, so feel free to let me know what you think!


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